Harvesting Color, Rebecca Burgess

When Harvesting Color came across my desk, there was no doubt in my mind that I would write a review about this timely book.  Author Rebecca Burgess brings to light the devastating effects that dying fibers with synthetic chemicals has caused to our environment and to our health, and she urges us to rely on the natural resources around us in a mindful way. 

  

The concept of this book may be new to some of you, but even if you’re a newbie to natural dyes, I think as you read my interview with the author, you’ll get excited about wanting to try this out for yourself.  

Don’t forget to read all the way to the end to find out how you could win a free copy of Rebecca’s book!

  

Kara: Rebecca, you identify 36 plants that grow in the United States that are suitable for creating beautiful, natural dyes. How did you go about researching and testing various plants to discover such a variety of vibrant colors? 

Rebecca: The research took place in my homeland of Northern California about 10 years ago, when I realized I lived in a region listed as one of the top 25 most biodiverse in the country.  I expanded my interest beyond my region for the writing of the book—and for that process; I undertook a search for other natural dyers who had been doing what I’d been doing in different regions of the US.  I found Rose Dedman in the Southwest, Carol Leigh in the Ozark mountains, and Carol Lee in the Rocky Mountains.  All of these women carried rich and long histories with the ecosystems they lived within.

Kara: When did you become interested in natural dyes and relying on our natural resources for dying fibers? What was it in your life that led you to this path? 

Rebecca: In college, I experienced what it was like to work with synthetic yarns and synthetic dyes—all of which were not to my liking.  I did not like the smell, the texture, etc.  I was driven toward natural dyes because of their gentleness, the connection that these colors provided between myself and the natural world and the rich tones and shades that you cannot go wrong with!  Any and all combinations seem to work splendidy.

Kara: Working with natural dyes is a new concept for many knitters. What would be your best advice for someone just starting out? Do you offer special steps to begin the journey into working with natural dyes? 

Rebecca: I would start with the Master Dye Bath Recipe—it is so easy and works so well for most plant life.  If you live amongst plant life, you could harvest from your own garden, and give any plant a try.  If you have a farmer’s market nearby, you could buy a bouquet and enjoy it for a couple of days, and then experiment with heating the flowers up on the stove in some water when the blooms are just past their prime.  As long as your yarns are prepared with a mordant, the colors you create in your dye pot will bond nicely to your yarns.

Kara: Why did you feel that the time was right to write a book that encourages yarn enthusiasts to “hunt and gather” to dye their own wool? 

Rebecca: When workshops became quite full, and my time seemed stretched like a rubber band at capacity, it felt like the time to disseminate the work through a book. I do recommend that gathering materials be done in one’s garden, first and foremost, and then through relationships you build with your neighbors, community gardens, land management agencies—you build your harvesting grounds slowly and in a way that always regenerates the plants that you are pruning.  It is really important to remember you want to be able to come back the following year to your favored plants and be able to harvest them again—so treat them very kindly (unless you are using invasive plants, and in that case you don’t really want to see them the following year!).

Kara: When it comes to the seasons, it seems easy to harvest plants in the summer months, but is it also possible to find useful plants in the fall or winter? Are there plants that can be grown indoors?
Rebecca: Fall is certainly a great time to harvest—falling aspen leaves, black walnut husks and sheep sorrel seed heads are an example of this.  In the winter, I suppose you could grow all of your favored plants in a greenhouse.  They’d do quite well.  You can also dry your spring, summer and fall harvest and save it for winter use.

Kara: When it comes to the kinds of yarns you choose to dye and work with, do you prefer to work with small, local fiber companies? 

Rebecca: I prefer knowing the flock of sheep, alpaca or angora goats!   All the yarns I currently dye are from farms in my region. I love having a relationship with the land in this way—going out during shearing time and collecting the fiber I will need.  I mill my own yarns at our local wool co-op.

Kara: When it comes time to dye wool, is there a special process to preparing the yarn?

Rebecca: I highly recommend mordanting your yarns.  This is a process of soaking and heating them in a substance like iron, alum, seawater or acorn water.  The fiber needs a “middle man” that can negotiate the relationship with the dye.  The dye and fiber by themselves don’t seem to get along so well.

Kara: Do some fibers dye better than others, and is it possible for the same color to result in a different color depending on the fiber choice? Are there certain fibers that are best to stay away from completely? 

Rebecca: The fibers all dye differently, and the spin of the yarn also changes the effect of the color. Merino is like a sponge, whereas Wensleydale is a longer fiber, which is a tad less absorbent of the color. The tighter the twist, the more time it takes the dye to penetrate the yarn.

Kara: When it comes to the seasons of the year, can you give a few examples of the kinds of plants that are best for each season?

Rebecca: I love the soft mint green of summer black hollyhocks and the ocean-like blues of Japanese indigo.  Pokeberry’s bright pink in the early fall are incredible.  Toyon in the winter is a dream of deep red and fire-like oranges.   

Kara: In your daily life as an author and designer, what is a typical work day like for you? 

Rebecca: Typical is a funny concept for me. The routine I can sum up at the moment is defined seasonally. This morning I planted Kentucky beans, heirloom tomatoes and when I’m done typing, I’ll go weed the 3/4 of an acre of indigo.  I stopped in at home to do an interview and host a filmmaker who videoed me with my hands deep in an indigo vat, squeezing out some local wool from the coyote brush dye pot.  I keep thinking … must get back to weeding! Each season is so different.  My life is defined by color, flowers, leaves, roots, weather patterns, wool, alpaca, soils, yarns and steamy dye vats—these are the things I love.

Kara: When did you first discover knitting and spinning? What was your first love, knitting, spinning or hand dyeing? 
Rebecca: I started weaving first, then dyeing, then spinning and then knitting—weaving at 18, dyeing at 19, spinning at 22, and now I’m knitting!  I love the transportability of knitting, I think the knitting needles and I are going to become good friends this winter.

Kara: I’m amazed at the vibrant colors that are produced from plants literally all around us. Out of all the natural colors that you’ve discovered, do you have a favorite? What is the plant that produces this shade and can you share some background about it?

Rebecca: I really love coreopsis. I don’t have a singular favorite, but this is such a beautiful plant and such an easy dye to make.  It is Coreopsis Tinctorium.  All species with the ‘tint’ in the species name are dye plants.  It grows all over the country.  You just pour boiling water over the flowers and voila!  Or make sun tea out of it for your yarns.  To me, its bright orange dye and beautiful yellow flowers are such an emblem of the sun and the summer.

Coreopsis Tinctorium

Kara: Can you share some tidbits about the knitting patterns included at the end of each chapter? 

Rebecca: The patterns are for everyone.  They are for all levels of knitting and are really designed to be of use for the knitter in the season they are listed.  The Madder Root Scarf and Hood is an example of how to make use of a beautiful red root and make a garment from its dyed yarns for a cozy winter experience.

Kara: Do you have any new projects on the burner to tell us about? 

Rebecca: I am working on creating the first North American dye farm here in Northern California.  I am also fundraising and working collaboratively to create the country’s first farm-based solar mill so we can grow, mill, dye, weave and knit our region’s own fibers.  I am also working on a college level certificate for those wanting to get into the organic and regional fiber and color movement.  These are all spinoffs of the Fibershed project I started in 2010 right after I finished the book.

To find out more about Rebecca and her projects, visit:www.fibershed.wordpress.com, http://www.rebeccarburgess.com/

Here’s your chance to win a free copy of this book! (Courtesy of Artisan Books)

The Rules: Leave a comment to this post telling me how you will use the resources around you in a more responsible and mindful way through your knitting. The most inventive idea wins! 

Deadline: Send in your comments to this post by midnight June 18th. Good luck! The winner will be announced on Monday, June 20th. 

Rebecca has also generously provided a free copy of her Summer Knit: Nap Mat from her book below! 

Excerpted from Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes by Rebecca Burgess. (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2011. Photographs by Paige Green. 

Summer Knit: Nap Mat

This mat is a wonderfully useful size. It also makes a great small rug.

Finished Measurements: 38 inches wide, 39 inches long

Yarn: Chunky thick-n-thin 2-ply wool in eucalyptus, coyote bush, cliff rose, biden, 

hollyhock, sagebrush, indigo, ironweed, rabbitbrush, elderberry, and goldenrod; use 4 oz. (114 g) each of your favorite 3 colors and 2 oz. (57 g) each of the rest, for a total of 28 oz. (794 g). This pattern was written to use 4 oz. of eucalyptus, indigo, and coyote bush.

Needles: U.S. size 19 (15.5 mm) 24-inch circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge

Notions: Scissors, wool needle, small spray bottle of water

Gauge: 1 ½ sts per inch

Instructions:

With eucalyptus, cast on 60 sts using a long-tail cast-on. Knitted or cable cast-on works well also.

Work in garter st (knit every row) until you have about 12 inches of yarn left. Spit-splice this tail to the beginning of the skein of coyote bush and continue in garter st., changing colors in this order: cliff rose, biden, hollyhock, sagebrush, indigo, ironweed, rabbitbrush, 

elderberry, goldenrod, eucalyptus, indigo, and coyote bush. When knitting the last skein of coyote bush, remember to save enough yarn to bind off. The knitted piece should measure roughly 24 by 41 inches.

Weave in ends with the wool needle. To finish the mat, steam block the fabric to measure 38 x 39 inches.

Spit Splicing

Spit splicing is a rustic technique to join yarn, one that complements the already slubbed texture of the yarn. It requires a spray bottle of water, not necessarily saliva. Take the working yarn and fray 2 to 3 inches of the tail. Take the next color and do the same. Overlap the two colors in a way to create a continuous strand across the palm of one 

hand. Spray a small amount of water in that palm and rub both palms together rapidly. The friction created by your hands and the yarn, combined with the water, will cause the yarn to felt onto itself. Repeat until the yarn is firmly fused.

Above images and text from Splendid Sticks.  Link here.

Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes by Sasha Duerr

According to Sasha Duerr, the author of The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes, if we can cook, we can dye. One of the chapters contained within is even entitled, "Kitchen Couture". And couture it is. Dozens of recipes tell us how to use such things as lavender, turmeric and red cabbage to dye plant and protein-based fibers the most luscious colors imaginable, all of which harmonize in ways 'only botanical colors can.'

Sasha begins at the beginning, outlining supplies we'll need, explaining in easy to understand terms the benefit of mordants as they relate to specific plant-based (like cotton) or protein-based (like wool) fibers. She also explains different dyeing techniques, including cold and hot water dyeing and even solar dyeing. 

When we have the terminology down and a grasp of the procedures, Sasha then offers step by step tutorials, which include 'Try This' tips that feature objects that have been dyed using the techniques described. For example, Sasha suggests we let a silk wrap and a wool cap share the same dye bath, which are pictured below. In this case, the bath was that of red cabbage.

Of course our local farmer's market and produce department can be a source for natural plant dyes, but Sasha suggests we might also harvest and gather our own color. She tells us what we need to keep in mind as we choose our seeds as well as providing examples of different kinds of gardens in which to grow them. One easy-to-grow choice may be fennel (the yellow blossoms pictured above), which was used to dye these bridesmaid dresses:

Lest we think only fabrics can be dyed naturally, Sasha reminds us that anything that is 'natural and fibrous' such as lampshades, rugs, shells and jewelry, can be dyed to luscious effect. 

Ultimately, for anyone interested in exploring natural dyes The Handbook of Natural Dyes is a must-have. Particularly for fiber fanatics, both fabric and yarn, yes, but also for anyone interested in plant-based, natural dyeing. 

Above image and text by DIY Maven from the blog, Curbly.  Link here.

Natural Dyes, Weekend Intensive with Annie Egleson at Textile Center, NYC, Brooklyn location

This summer I attended the workshop at the Textile Center in Brooklyn, NY. I have been interested in natural dyes for a long time and finally had an opportunity to take a workshop. Annie was a wonderful instructor and I enjoyed meeting and working with the people in my class. As a teacher, I value the experience of being a student.  I learned so much not only about natural dyes, but about how other artists approach their work.

Getting organized.

Scouring to remove sizing and additives.

After scouring, rinse all fabrics.

Hollyhocks (violet) and Walnut (brown).

Madder (red).

Hollyhock in the pot.  Next step is to strain out the plants so we can put our fabric in .

Fabric coming out of the hollyhock dye bath.  We let dye bath sit overnight.

Fabric coming out of the madder pot. 

A collection of everyone's fabrics, color coded!

Detail shot of the walnut brown.

Detail of the hollyhock.

Detail of the chamomile.

Detail of the madder.

This next project was a silk bundle.  We selected leaves and flowers to wrap in the silk.

Making the package.

 The package of flowers were wrapped around a stick and boiled.   This image is after the boiling.

Leaves and flowers still inside silk.  Coming soon, an image of the silk with plants removed and dry.

Making bundles.  This was a process I had heard of, but always forget to do it when I am in my studio.
Stitching items inside the fabric, sewing gathered stitches and wrapping fabric around objects will
produce interesting patterns once removed from a dye bath.  You can see results below.

Indigo!  Bundled fabrics getting ready for a dip.

Coming out of the indigo dye.

Oxidizing.  First appearance is green.  

After rinsing, hanging to dry.

Some more examples.

Samples from my classmates.

Samples from my classmates.

Rather than toss a dye bath, we did a second bath with each color.
Of course, the color was not as intense, but still really nice results.  

Studio

Tokens at the Foundling Museum in London

The exhibition is entitled Threads of Feeling: 18th Century Textiles left with Abandoned Babies at the London Foundling Hospital.  There is an on-line slide show of the fabric samples.

"These trinkets are transitional objects - severed umbilical cords - that embody the grief of separation".
"...sentimental objects, which seem to evoke larger narratives of loss and grief..."
 - The Tokens, Christopher Turner, Cabinet Magazine

Sometimes a token was broken in half, so if the mother returned she could match her half of the token with the token left with the child.  Seems as if this process was most often used by women who were illiterate.

An Introduction to the Tokens,  Janette Bright and Gillian Clark

"Tokens were left as 'identifiers' - they were not gifts for the children, keepsakes or love tokens, as has often been stated. They were official 'documents,' easily recognisable items that could be used to prove the identity of an infant if the parent or parents found themselves in circumstances to take it back. Since the tokens were first put on display in the 1860s, these small but speaking methods of identification have been giving life to individual moments of separation and loss. Yet having been removed from their admission records, these compelling scraps of personal history were themselves orphans. Now, thanks to eight years of painstaking work by Janette Bright and Gillian Clark, many of these tokens have been reunited with the children to whom they belonged, revealing the circumstances surrounding their arrival at the Foundling Hospital." -text and image from the Foundling Museum.

If no token was left with the child, a swatch of fabric would be cut from the child's clothes.  One half of the swatch was kept with the child's paperwork and the other was given to the mother.  I found the images above on the Textile Treasure Seeker blog.

Image source is History Guide.

Some other information I collected:
The hospital was established in 1741 for the maintenance and education of exposed and deserted young children.  Children baptized and renamed.  Wet nurses paid well for keeping their babies alive.  Two-thirds of those died.  Over 16,000 children left between 1741 and 1760, 152 reclaimed.  Children left - illegitimate, poverty, rape, not married or simply unwanted.  Also found a foundling hospital in florence Italy, built 1419 and approx. 375,000 children were abandoned.  Rather than murder children, women could leave at hospital and therefore not have sinned. After the Civil War, poverty, immigration, inadequate housing and financial depression triggered the abandonment of children.  More info found here, The New York Foundling Hospital.  In the little research I have done on these three locations, it seems as if London was the only hospital that had tokens.  

Rubin Museum of Art

This summer I visited the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City.  This is a wonderful place - if I lived in NYC I would take advantage of all the Rubin offers - exhibits, lectures, music, art making, film and a restaurant. You can link here to see the programs offered.   

Tibetan Amulet Box

One of my interests is objects made for reasons that support a belief system.  The amulet box has always interested me - a portable shrine.  Not only is it an object but it creates a space, a place to worship. I pulled some of my notes on other objects and spaces and posted information and my thoughts below. 

Ark of Covenant

From what I have read, the Ark has not been revealed but is housed in a church in Ethiopia. Someone is with the Ark at all times and the public is not allowed inside the building.

Stupa in Gotemba, Shizuoka City, Japan

Stupa crowning, Java, Indonesia

After the death of the Buddha, the relics of His body were collected from the funeral pyre and divided into eight parts. Stupas were erected on the relics. The practice of pilgrimage in Buddhism probably started with visits to these places, the purpose of which was to achieve personal advantage such as rebirth in a good location, as well as to honour the great master. 


The below text is from an exhibition at the Rubin entitled Pilgrimage and Faith.  Link here.

"For millennia people of all faiths have embarked on the practice of pilgrimage, journeying to a sacred place or shrine of special religious significance, while proceeding at the same time on an inner, spiritual journey. Objects associated with pilgrimage—whether works of high artistic skill or those intended for everyday use—often reveal deep human needs that transcend particular faiths.

Pilgrimage and Faith explores these important spiritual journeys in three of the world's largest religious traditions: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. While reflecting on the shared goals of personal development and communal solidarity evident in each tradition, the exhibition also highlights their particular ritual practices and artistic expressions.

The exhibition features diverse examples of objects from each faith, including a Chinese Buddhist pilgrimage map, a Tibetan Buddhist hand prayer wheel, a twelfth-century Christian reliquary casket, Muslim clay prayer tablets."

SMALL STORIES, Brooklyn, NYC, 2012

If you happen to be in Brooklyn, be sure to drop by 

and enjoy amazing fiber pieces. 

Please see the invitation below for all relevant information.

small stories

an exhibition of fiber work

curated by Joetta Maue
at the Urban Alchemist Design Collective

343 5th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Opening Saturday June 23, 2012, 6-9pm

On view June 20 - July 22, 2012.

Featuring work by: Neta Amir, Sarah Bahr, Kristy Bishop, Millicent Bradleigh, Danielle Burgos, 

Nathan Carnes, Marcy Chevali, Marie France Cournoyer, Julie Anne Danylewich, 

Jane Waggoner Deschner, Autumn-Grace Dougherty, Ann Duggan, Di Ellis,

Kelly Fleek, Veronica Fuentes, Peg Grady, Eileen Hoffman, Jane Lee Horton, 

Jan Johnson, Susan Lenz, Skid Lo, Sanna Majander, Anny Mefford, Laura Mongiovi, 

Nicole Monjeau, Ruth Moskell, Meg Pierce, Astrid Philipps, Patricia Reis,

Laura Reyes, Lora Rocke, Dawn Rogal, Rachel Rose, Bonnie Sennott, 

Beverly Y. Smith, Ruth Tabancay, Katya Usvitsky, 

Ansie Vanderwalt, Leni Levenson Wiener

Info on space here. Info on curator and exhibition here.

My piece "Dig, Escape, Sleep, Repeat" will be exhibiting at the Small Stories show at 

Urban Alchemist in Brooklyn, NY.